US Open 2023: Women's singles power rankings
Following pulsating tennis on the North American hardcourts, the focus shifts to New York for the year's final Grand Slam—the US Open. Top names have already arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, set to host the tournament's 143rd edition from August 28 to September 10.
Leading the women's field for the second consecutive year as the top seed is Iga Swiatek. The Pole lifted her third Grand Slam title in New York 12 months ago, getting the better of Ons Jabeur, who will continue her pursuit of a Major title.
Plenty of other players, including home hopes Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, will also be looking to make an impact at Flushing Meadows.
And with only a few days left for main draw action, it's time we take a look at the power rankings based on players' US Open swing performances over the last three years.
Note: The following formula was used to calculate the power rankings for this year's US Open: (1x points earned in the 2023 USO series + 0.5x points earned in the 2023 USO series + 0.25x points earned in the 2021 USO series).
Only points earned by reaching the quarterfinals or further at a tournament count towards the rankings.
This was done to avoid giving an undue advantage to seeded players who received early round byes in the WTA 250, 500, and 1000 tournaments.
#8 Daria Kasatkina
New York has not been a happy hunting ground for Daria Kasatkina. The hardcourts here favor the big ball-strikers and do little to benefit the Russian's crafty style. And there's only so much sliding on a hardcourt.
Kasatkina, however, has done surprisingly well in the warm-up tournaments and has two titles—2022 San Jose and 2021 Championnats de Granby—and a finals run at 2021 Silicon Valley to show for it.
She recently made the quarterfinals at Montreal, and that may just be the motivation that helps improve her 8-8 win-loss record at the US Open this year.
#7 Caroline Garcia
Caroline Garcia lifted one of the biggest titles of her career in Cincinnati last year. The Frenchwoman carried her hot streak into the US Open, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal before coming up short against Ons Jabeur.
While her form coming into New York nowhere resembles last year, Garcia still possesses the flat, pacey groundstrokes that can wreak havoc in the lightning-quick conditions. And she will have plenty of happy memories to draw from.
#6 Liudmila Samsonova
Much like Kasatkina, Liudmila Samsonova has done well in the lead-up to the US Open only to fall short on the big stage. She came into last year's tournament with two titles in Washington and Cleaveland under her belt and nearly broke her Grand Slam jinx.
She, however, was quelled by an inspired Ajla Tomjlanovic in the fourth round. 2023 is another year, and Samsonova has another big result on the North American courts to her name—this time at the WTA 1000 level.
Her run to the final in Montreal would have filled her with confidence, and given that she can keep a level head, this might be the year that the Russian breaks the fourth-round barrier.
#5 Ons Jabeur
Grand Slam finals have been tough outings for Ons Jabeur, who came agonizingly close to lifting the trophy at the US Open last year. The Tunisian battled to the bitter end only to come up second best against top seed Iga Swiatek.
Jabeur returns to New York with another heartbreak—the 2023 Wimbledon finals loss—fresh in her memory. But also fresh in our minds are the stellar performances that saw her make the final last year.
She has shown promise in her few matches in the lead-up, making the quarterfinals in Cincinnati.
Add her runs to the last eight in San Jose last year and Montreal in 2021, and you see a player who can be just as menacing on North American turf as she is on English lawns.
#4 Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka has reached the semifinals or better at her last four Grand Slam appearances, and it all began in New York last year. That, however, is not the only time that the big-hitting Belarusian has made it deep at a North American tournament.
In fact, she is on a spectacular semifinal streak, having posted the same results at Cincinnati and Montreal this year. Add two other last-four finishes from New York and Montreal in 2021, and one begins to sense a pattern.
Whether she can snap the streak and take the next step this year remains to be seen, but things are looking ominous for her early-round opponents.
#3 Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula's resume while playing at home has always looked stellar. Pre-2023, the American had made the quarterfinals at the 2022 US Open, the semifinals at the Canadian Open in both 2022 and 2021, and another last-eight at Cincinnati in 2022.
The steady build-up continued at Washington this year, with her reaching the semifinals. Pegula, however, came into her own at the Canadian Open, lifting her second WTA 1000 title for a true breakthrough on home soil. She has wins over Swiatek, Samsonova, and Coco Gauff to show for it.
The American hits flat and likes to stay low on her legs, both of which are qualities that players are rewarded for on a New York stage. And her triumph in Montreal could be just the confidence boost that she needs heading into the season's final Slam.
#2 Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek knows what it takes to successfully defend a Grand Slam title. And had it not been for a few recent drubbings, she would have easily been the woman to beat in New York again this year.
Nonetheless, the World No. 1 boasts a strong resume coming into this year's tournament. Besides being the champion 12 months ago, she has posted other big wins en route to the semifinals at Montreal and Cincinnati this year.
Swiatek did speak about her tank being pretty empty after her semifinal loss in Cincinnati, but she has plenty of time to replenish lost strength and stay focused for what promises to be a tough title defense.
#1 Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff lifted the biggest title of her career at Cincinnati last week, but she conquered more than just a trophy.
The win over Swiatek in the semifinals saw the youngster beat the demons that come with a 14-set losing streak against a player. Her reaction to that win was understandably louder and more fierce than even her final victory.
With a new team in place, the youngster's self-belief is finally beginning to show in his game. She still has work to do when it comes to not falling prey to her defensive patterns, but even that did not get in her way at Cincinnati.
And as for the math, Gauff made the quarterfinals at last year's US Open as well as at the last two editions of the Canadian Open. More impressively, she reached the quarterfinals in Montreal and lifted another trophy in Washington prior to Cincinnati this year. Need we say more?
Honourable mentions for US Open 2023
The likes of Elena Rybakina and the Czech trio of Petra Kvitova, Karolina Muchova, and Karolina Pliskova have also posted steady graphs during the US Open swing in recent years. Add someone like Danielle Collins and Belinda Bencic to the mix, and one cannot rule out an upset or two.